Improvement in automatic gates



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N-PETERS. FHDTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D. C.

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" `Figure 1 exhibits a pairrot' aa-dsa@ @tutti @wie PRATTv Alsrrenul Annl n,on'reoitnn'r-A cRossMAN, or MARSHALL, f ivnctueAn` l f Letters Patent No. 105,735, dated July 261870.

. Schedule referred to in (these Letters Patentaxid making pari; of thesafme.

We, PRATT A; Suona and MoN'reoMnnY Guess In/IAN, both of the cityof liarshalhin` the county ofv Calhoun and State oi' Michigan,'haveinvented certain Improvements in Adjustable Automatic Gates, of which the followingis a specification. l

Our invention relates to the attachment to a gate of an r inverted, 'semicircular double` incline track-way, to be employed in combination with a roller, placed at the endof the uppercrankot' the'hinge-1'od,the

`object beingtoilift upfthe gate 'or gates vertically (to Va greaterlextentthan is permitted by other devices) at or aboutthe time when the automatic action of r opening or shutting-commences. l

l It also relates to certain"devices, in combination y with said'track-way and with the latches, for causing the gate to swing in a highei` or lower inclinedplane kabove the ground; `andtothe combination, with the wheelcrank-irons, of a hand-lever, for operating the gate while seated on horseback.

Our invention is `embodied in the accompanyin drawing, in` which- A A I gates and operating mechanism, as seen from the inclosure.

A Figure 2 is an enlarged broken section of a gatein l perspective,"showing more clearly the automatic and `adjusting devices. .A A

A .Y Figure `3 is a perspective view of one of the lat-che 'plates detached. l l

In iig. 1 our-adjusting and automatic arrangements Aare shown asapplied toa pair of gates, A A, hinged to postsAB B, respectively, but, forbrevity, we will describe our devices as applied to a sin gie-entrance gate,

4 c'of the hinge-rods ee together. vl

D represents the` wheel-irons, and d, the rod, which connects them with the bottom `crank-0L of the hinge-rod e, inside the lot,the wheel-A irons outside not beingzshown for want of room.

AL isa hand-lever, ot' iron or wood, and connected in `any, suitablewaywith the outerwheel-cranks. l.

I t isbestto beudthis lever away somewhat, so as to be clear from contactlwith the wheelsof a vehicle;

and said lever shonldbc ot" such length and set at y such angle, that a person on 'hor'seback, ,by reaching l down, may conveniently grasp it, and throw over the A `iwheelcranks tojopen or shut the gate.

`'.lhe rod e forms the pivot of both hinges, .which `may besimply eye-bolts, as `shown,\or of the strap, r other suitable kind, andwhere said rod passes through dom to turn freely on the rod, the distance'from thev center ofthe roller to the, center of the vertical `part of the rod being equal to the radius of the concentric track-way E, which we will nofwproceed to describe.

l vl[[he track-way is a; metal rim, usually ofcast or malleable cast-iron, composing an arc of half a circle or more, shaped on the edges,and fastened tothe gate stile near its upper end, substantially as shown.

The under edge of this track, or rather its bearingface, is a double inclined plane,` each inclinedescend'- ing from thecenter ofthe semicircle in oppositedirections, and the grade should be o'i' such nature as to cause the gate to act and come gently 'to rest. y

Said track-way E isprovided with vertical central plates, p, through which it is firmly bolted to the gate, and the plates may have slots, s, in them, through which the bolts pass, soAAthat, by lowering the track, the gate will be lifted above deep snow, or other obstruction. ,f

This arrangement requires a corresponding adjustability in the latches, as applied tothe stub F, between the two shut gates, the side stubs or posts to latch the gates to when open, as shown at G, or centrally,A as applied tolatch -a single entrance gate when shut.

We effect this by forming a stud-like projection, t', at the bottom oi latching-plates H, also slotted and boltedto the gate or gates, in appropriate positions to latch in the stop-notches a of the stubs or posts.

AThe operation is as follows: When the wheel-irons' Dare thrown over by the wheels of a vehicle, or by the operation of" the handlevers L, in a direction Vto open or shut the gate, as

the casemay be, the cranked lowerand upper ends of the hinge-rod are, bythe intervention ot' one or the other ot' the connecting irons d, carried suddenly roundv a quarter of a circle, the roller J traversing one .or the other of' the descendingl inclines ot' the trackf way E, and lifting up the gate vertically a distance Vequal to the height oi' such incline.

When the roller isvin this position at the foot of'- the incline, the gate must open or shut promptly, for

its weight acting through the attached track-way at a point on the rolleri beyond its 'vertical center, causes it to revolve, which carries the track-,way and gate to 4their former lower levelat the summit, causing the gate to open or. shut, according to the particular ineline which the roller is compelled to traverse.

A iiangc, f, may be cast on` the end of the bottom track-way platepprovided with a hole to receive the promptly against a stift' wind,

Aor bolt.

The automatic devices in our arrangement permits the hanging of the gate nearer to thej ground than any others of which we have any knowledge, so as to prevent the passage of fowls or small animals, andits movements, in irst lifting and then swinging from the higher to the original lower plane, gives a peculiar facility of avoiding (by rising above, or, when in motion, by sweepiug-away,) obstacles in its path.

The track-inclines being inverted, are always free from obstructions, except, perhaps, from small icicles, which the action of the roller speedily removes.

The parts-are inexpensive, and easily finished and erected, and permit, in addition, the usc of a cheap and ready ineans for a vertical adjustment of the gate to any requisite' extent.

We disclaim the wheel-iron connections and connection C, for operating double gates; but

We claim as our invention- 1. The inverted double incline track-way E, with or Without'the flange f, in combination with the gate A, roller J, and cranked hinge-rod e, when arranged in relation \vith each other and with said gate and its hanging post, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the subject-matter of the first-claim, the slotted track-way plates p and slotted latching plates H, for the vertical adjustment of the gate, substantially as described.

PRATT A. SPIGER. MONTGOMERY CROSSMAN.

Witnessesr W. H. 'Ensrong SETE LEWIS. f 

